Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock’s guest commentary about breaking promises to illegal immigrants is an example of what is wrong with this country.

The real promise broken is the one to the American people taken by President Obama to uphold the Constitution of the United States. Twenty-six states are fighting the president’s executive order on immigration as being unconstitutional. Rather than negotiating with Congress, Obama decided the result is more important than the means.

If we do not abide by the Constitution and separation of powers, then we no longer have a country. By allowing this action to stand, we would be destroying the very core of what has made this country one that people want to come to.

Steve Gehrke,Aurora

This letter was published in the Feb. 23 edition.

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An oil rig towers over homes in Erie on Jan. 15. The Denver Post’s “Managing the Boom” series looked at the relationship between Colorado’s booming oil and gas industry and affected communities and agricultural areas. (RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post)

Almost 40 years ago, my family decided to allow Amoco Production Company to drill underneath our farms in exchange for royalty payments. I thought this was a prudent financial choice, but have discovered after recent well drilling that it had been an error in judgment.

My family and I started to notice strange smells coming from the tank battery owned by Encana, the operating company for the new wells. I inquired to the state and a representative came out to the area and confirmed that the battery was not built correctly.

Why was this not built correctly in the first place? If an industrial operation is constructed very close to families’ homes, shouldn’t the energy companies take careful precautions to ensure that all the equipment is properly constructed? I am not opposed to oil and gas drilling; but families should not have to be negatively affected in order to get protections from drilling in their area.

I urge the governor’s oil and gas task force to recommend strong community protections.

Jim Hergenreder,Longmont

This letter was published in the Feb. 22 edition.

It would seem that so many people move to rural Colorado and expect to have an idyllic situation. Once they move, these people are often surprised to find oil and gas workers drilling, miners mining, hunters hunting, cows mooing, and elk stomping their grass and flowers. On top of that, we have thousands living in areas that are at high risk of forest fires and are shocked that the rest of the citizens of the state don’t want to pay exorbitant taxes so they can have their view.

Look, people, life is filled with tradeoffs and it was your choice to live where you do — just like those of us who live in urban areas deal with traffic, crime, crowding and noise. I am for people making their own choices in this life; just don’t make the rest of us have to pay so you can strictly control the environment in which you live.

Joseph Galmish,Wheat Ridge

This letter was published in the Feb. 22 edition.

As with the construction of airports well “out of town” and then followed by construction of residential developments closer and closer, resulting in those new residents complaining about the noise, now we see the same thing happening with the construction of drilling sites. If the development was already established, residents might have a case, but if they purchased a home near the existing site, my feeling is: If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

Barbara Vetter,Broomfield

This letter was published in the Feb. 22 edition.

In order for the public to make informed decisions about fracking, the pros and cons must be objectively presented. Your series neglected to mention several research-based consequences that people need to understand in order to protect themselves and their loved ones.

Your articles did not mention evidence of health hazards associated with fracking, particularly for the very young, as well as the health effects of the myriad chemicals used. There was no mention of earthquakes that are linked to wastewater injection. Drinking water and aquifers are put at risk by fracking. Methane leaks are significantly higher than frackers have previously stated. Methane is associated with global weather chaos and is 20-plus times more potent than CO2.

Your articles mentioned consequences that can be tolerated considering the economic benefits, but neglected to inform the public of consequences to life and limb.

Richard Bluhm,Westminster

This letter was published in the Feb. 22 edition.

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Vincent Carroll writes of the folly of divesting from fossil fuels. Where’s the greater folly? Is it not in our failing to divest from fossil fuels while investing in cleaner, sustainable energy sources, and soon enough preserving life as we know it?

Carroll asked (then answered) the rhetorical question: “Is it a bad thing that 1.6 billion people were introduced to electricity in the 1990s alone, or a good thing that 1 billion people still lack it today? Of course not.”

As a divestment advocate, I certainly agree that electricity is a valued good. Yet, I vigorously oppose expanding fossil-fuel investments in dirty coal to produce that electricity, especially when solar and wind power are now up to the job. That’s why I joined the recent Greenpeace and 350.org rally for coal divestment in downtown Denver.

Ken Connell,Thornton

This letter was published in the Feb. 22 edition.

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If the Colorado State Public Defender’s office keeps its spending records correctly, then it has no reason to hide. The office is funded by government funds, which is taxpayer money, and should be under the same scrutiny as the state prosecutor’s office, which was just audited. If this is allowed to continue, which government office will be next to claim the same rules as the public defender’s office?

William Straight, Denver

This letter was published in the Feb. 22 edition.

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Lisa Wirthman writes that “the best-case scenario for last-minute abortion restrictions is to create more unintended births — a serious health risk for both mothers and babies. In unintended pregnancies, mothers are more likely to have complications and lack prenatal care, while babies are more likely to be premature and have lower birth weights.”

Wirthman seems to believe that it is more risky for a woman to give birth than to undergo an abortion. Medical statistics do not support this assertion. The only people who claim to sincerely hold this view are those in the abortion business.

Furthermore, the only way one can assert that an unintended birth is a more “serious health risk” than an abortion is if you don’t believe that the one aborted is a baby. And the only way you can cling to that belief is if you have never seen an ultrasound image of an unborn child.

Henry Blum,Centennial

This letter was published in the Feb. 22 edition.

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I was shocked when I read the headline of Joel Hughes’ column. But as I read it, I was reminded of the saying that “The scandal isn’t the illegal behavior, the scandal is what’s legal.” Well, maybe not technically legal, but actions which “good cops” do daily with the full support of their colleagues, their supervisors, and their allies in the district attorneys’ offices.

These “good apple” officers can be observed daily in local courts practicing the traditional art of “testilying.” Because officers are just trying to convict guilty criminals who might otherwise get off on a technicality, we the public give them our full support. After all, the bad guy may not have committed the exact crime he stands accused of, but he is still a criminal and certainly guilty of other, yet-uncharged crimes. No real harm done. The cops are the good guys. As Hughes termed it, “tinkering.” Just doing what they have to do to make the system work.

No, the scandal is not the “bad apples,” it is the rotten barrel they are a part of.

Bruce Conant,Denver

This letter was published in the Feb. 22 edition.

Joel Hughes presents an objective, well-reasoned analysis of temptations inherent in police-community encounters. He is correct that “race bias does play a part” (in some encounters). But if we put our minds to it, race bias can become a diminishing factor. In Colorado, the most common type incident in which race bias is present or alleged involves non-black officers patrolling black neighborhoods — a necessity when black officers are in short supply.

This is a solvable problem. Colorado’s lawmakers should fund a study that would reveal two things: which jurisdictions in the country have been most successful in recruiting black law enforcement officers; and how they did it. We could then adopt those successful models in Colorado.

Having black officers police black neighborhoods will not eliminate the inherent tension in police-community encounters, but it will simplify and lessen the problems.

Ray Harlan,Aurora

This letter was published in the Feb. 22 edition.

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The protection of Browns Canyon should be reflected as a positive move for environmental protection and not as a tyrannical political act by President Obama. By choosing to designate Browns Canyon as a national monument instead of waiting on a deadlocked Congress, President Obama was allowed to bypass congressional action to respond to our resounding local support. This wasn’t an authoritarian executive action, but rather fancy political footwork directly responding to the local voices of our community and leaders, including former Sen. Mark Udall, Sen. Michael Bennet and Gov. John Hickenlooper.

This area of the beautiful Colorado landscape was designated a national monument to protect its beauty, recreation and habitat we all enjoy — both as Coloradans and Americans — for generations to come.

Parker-Jameson Raabe,Boulder

This letter was published in the Feb. 21 edition.

We’re puzzled over Rep. Doug Lamborn’s criticism of Browns Canyon National Monument designation: “… national monuments created by presidential executive order under the Antiquities Act almost always become underfunded, neglected properties.”

Say what?

National treasures like the Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Great Sand Dunes, Muir Woods, Chaco Canyon and Ellis Island were all originally national monuments created by the Antiquities Act.

Over the past 20 years, the vast majority of Chaffee County residents have expressed their enthusiasm for national monument designation for Browns Canyon, and today we all say hooray!

Katherine and Michael McCoy,Buena Vista

This letter was published in the Feb. 21 edition.

I find it ironic that Browns Canyon (which contains a section of the Arkansas River) will now have more federal protection, but just several miles downstream we will allow Christo to make the river look like a gigantic circus tent all in the name of “art.”

Ken Staroscik,Firestone

This letter was published in the Feb. 21 edition.

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Dana Milbank’s column was a moving memorial to the young aid worker recently martyred in Syria, who “found God in the suffering eyes reflected in mine.” Kayla Mueller’s life of serving God by serving and aiding the suffering of the world presents a vivid contrast to the ones whose beliefs add to the suffering of the world by executing those who do not share their ideology.

Betty Crosslen,Arvada

This letter was published in the Feb. 21 edition.

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Guidelines: The Post welcomes letters up to 150 words on topics of general interest. Letters must include full name, home address, day and evening phone numbers, and may be edited for length, grammar and accuracy.

To reach the Denver Post editorial page by phone: 303-954-1331

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